The Wanderer
by Asanobara
Summary: The quest for the Sacred Jewel finally completed, Kagome makes her wish-for Kikyou to be fully restored so she can live out the rest of her days with Inuyasha. Little does Kagome know that her wish will bring her to face Truth itself in a place it calls the Between, only to be dropped into yet another foreign land with yet another quest to complete. Won't she ever get a break?
1. Make a Wish and Pay the Toll

**Chapter 1:**

 **Make a Wish and Pay the Toll**

Kagome forced a smile to her face as she looked around at her haggard companions. It wouldn't do to be all gloomy now, after all, would it? They'd finally done it—they'd finally completed the Sacred Jewel. Her spirits lifted… but at the same time her heart twisted painfully in her chest. They'd finished their mission. They'd destroyed Naraku and his incarnations, and at last the shards were together. They could go back to their lives now.

But that was just the problem—what were their lives now? Sango still hadn't found Kohaku—Kagome guessed she'd go on searching for her brother. Miroku was free of the curse; he no longer had any reason to hold back his feelings for the slayer, so perhaps he'd join her. Shippou… she would gladly adopt him if the well would allow her passage between the two eras to continue, but would it? Would she be able to continue to travel from the Feudal Era and back, or would the well seal as soon as her wish was made?

What would she do if she couldn't come back? Her life in the present day was meaningless now—seven years had passed since she first fell down the well. She'd finished high school by some miracle, but had obviously had to forgo university in favor of completing the Jewel and defeating their nemesis. She'd given up so much for this, and although saving the lives of every human on the face of the earth might have been a _bit_ more important than the future of one insignificant earthling, she still felt cheated. Shouldn't she at least get some recognition for this? She'd saved the world, for crying out loud, and where did that leave her? Twenty-two, no work experience, no college education to speak of, and bad grades in high school. Where was her happy ending?

She looked up from the Sacred Jewel in her hands, and her eyes met Inuyasha's. His arm was wrapped around Kikyou. Kagome winced at the sight of the woman's wounds. Even with that clay body, she wasn't going to make it long. The souls she held within her were already escaping. Inuyasha sent Kagome a pleading look that left her with a lump in her throat. She swallowed and averted her eyes.

She had long since given up on Inuyasha as a love interest. She wasn't an idiot, and she knew true love when she saw it. She'd have been a fool to try and get in the way of that. Kikyou and Inuyasha were meant for each other. But that didn't mean she could completely erase her feelings, even if they were unrequited. She'd given up on it ever happening, but that didn't stop the twinge of jealousy she felt towards the undead woman in Inuyasha's arms. _I wish he'd hold me like that._

She shook her head, clearing it of those thoughts. _You're supposed to be celebrating, Kagome, not bemoaning your lack of a love life!_ She cleared her throat and looked up, determination in her gaze. She knew what she had to do—she'd known for a long time. Seven years was plenty of time to think about what to wish for.

"I—" She swallowed again when her voice came out weak, praying for strength. "I don't know if I'll be coming back."

Sango's eyes widened in shock, her hand flying to her mouth, and Kagome saw Shippou begin to tear up, but she went on anyway. "The well… It only works through the power of the Jewel, and if the Jewel is gone there'll be nothing to sustain it," she said.

She approached Sango and pulled her into an embrace. "Good luck in finding Kohaku. I truly wish you the best. You're like the sister I missed out on when Souta came out male." She gave a weak giggle into her friend's shoulder, and Sango choked out a sound halfway between a laugh and a sob. When Kagome pulled back, she saw tears in the slayer's eyes. She pursed her lips, wiping them away with her finger. "Don't cry for me, Sango," she whispered sternly. "You're supposed to be the strong one here."

The older girl nodded, but her tears didn't stop. "Be safe, Kagome."

"I will," she said with a smile. "Be happy, Sango."

She moved on to the monk beside her, pulling him into a hug too. "If you even try to grope me to lighten the mood, I swear I'll kill you," she murmured in his ear.

She felt him chuckle, his hands remaining in an appropriate position on her back. "Wouldn't dream of it. Don't forget to keep training."

"I won't." She lowered her voice so Sango wouldn't hear. "Sorry I won't be there for the wedding."

His eyes widened. "How did you know I was planning on asking her?"

She drew back, her eyes sparkling. "Women's intuition, I suppose?" Her eyes narrowed and her voice lowered again. "Cheat on her and I'll torture you in the afterlife."

He laughed nervously. "Don't worry about that."

She smiled and moved on to Inuyasha, who was still seated and holding the injured Kikyou in his arms. Kagome squatted so she was eye-level with him. His golden eyes flickered between her and her fading previous incarnation desperately. "Kagome—"

She shook her head to stop him. "Don't worry." His eyes widened in understanding and she took a deep breath. "I love you Inuyasha. You're my best friend, and I owe you my life… I'll never forget that." She offered a small smile. "Don't get into too much trouble, okay? And if you're still around in five hundred years, drop by sometime."

His voice was slightly hoarse when he answered. "Of course. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too." Her eyes dropped to the woman in his lap. She'd been travelling with them for three or four years now. While their relationship couldn't be considered completely benevolent, they weren't at each other's throats anymore, like in the beginning. She sighed at the blank look she gave her. "Just do me one favor, Kikyou: Don't make me regret this."

Kikyou's blinked in muted surprise when she realized what Kagome was about to do, but before she could respond she'd already moved on to the last and smallest member of their group. Kagome and Shippou stared at each other for a full five seconds before he launched himself into her arms with a pitiful cry. She squeezed her eyes shut and buried her nose in his soft fur as he burrowed into her neck, his tears leaving a patch of dampness on her skin.

"Why do you have to go, Mama?" he sobbed. "I don't want you to leave me already!"

She bit her lip to hold in her own tears. "I love you Shippou. You're my son—nothing can change that—but I don't belong in this world, in this time. My home…" She stopped herself. Was the future really her home anymore? It didn't feel like it. Her brow furrowed. "I'm still looking for my home," she whispered so only he could hear.

"No, Mama! Your home is here," he said frantically. "You can stay here forever and ever and—"

"Shippou," she interrupted softly, drawing back to look in his eyes. "I've already done what I came here to do. Who knows?" She laughed. "Maybe someone else in another time and place needs me more now? Who am I to forsake them?"

"But—"

"Shh," she said, holding a finger to his lips. She kissed him on the forehead. "I love you more than anything else in the world, but it's time for me to go now."

He pressed his lips together to keep another sob from breaking loose and nodded, and she hugged him one last time before handing him over to Sango. The little kitsune snuggled into the slayers arms as Kagome stepped back from the group. She gripped the Sacred Jewel tightly in her fist. It pulsed brightly in what could almost be excitement. It knew. The time had come.

The black-haired priestess put on a brave face as she gave her group one last, sweeping look. A single tear broke through her barrier, sliding down her cheek and landing on her collarbone. "Goodbye."

And then, cupping the pink globe between her hands and closing her eyes, she wished.

 **-oOo-**

She opened her eyes to find herself in a blank, white space. She blinked several times, thinking she might be dreaming. _Where am I…?_

"Welcome, young Wanderer," came a soft voice from behind her.

She whirled, her heart thudding in her chest. She stiffened at the sight of the white figure before her and hid the Jewel behind her back. "Who are you?" she demanded. "Are you after the Jewel?!"

The figure tsked lightly. "Touchy, touchy," it said, its multiple voices overlaying to leave its words with an almost metallic edge. "And here I was nice enough to offer a word of welcome."

She frowned, bewildered. "Welcome? To where?"

It laughed, and she resisted the urge to shiver at the strange, sharp aura that assaulted her own: like sandpaper whispering against a glass windowpane. "The Gate, young Wanderer," it said, gesturing behind her. "The Gate of Truth."

She turned slowly, her eyes widening to saucers at the huge wooden door behind her. "How—what—?" She gulped, her eyes tracing the carvings scripted upon the door. "How did that get there?"

"It was before, or didn't you notice?"

She looked back at the white shadow, her forehead pinching in confusion. "I don't understand…"

"It is of no consequence," it interrupted. "That is not why you are here. You have a request to present before Truth, do you not?"

"You mean…" She held up the Jewel in front of her for it to see in lieu of an explanation. It's eyes gleamed and the grey outline of oversized teeth appeared on its face.

"Finally, someone who can pay the toll," it snickered.

"T-toll?"

"A life for a life… a soul for a soul." It sneered. "Equivalent Exchange."

She tried to ignore the harshness of its words, instead straightening. "The Jewel for a wish."

It smirked. "Precisely. Come." It held out a white hand surrounded by that same black aura.

She hesitated. _Come on, Kagome, buck up! This is what you have to do._ Steeling herself, she forced herself to put one foot in front of the other until she reached the shadow. It was smaller than her, the size of a young child, and seated on the white plane before her, but its less-than-frightening appearance didn't do anything to calm her nerves. The dark smoke that rose from the shadow brushed against her senses, probing her for weaknesses, impurities.

Her eyes narrowed in a silent dare as she held out the Jewel, placing it in its palm. Her fingers brushed against its skin and she flinched at the electric shock that passed through her. She snatched her hand back, rubbing it to soothe the pain, and stared at the shadow. "You—what are you?" she questioned.

It grinned at her. "Truth," it said simply, closing its hand around the Jewel.

She shook off the uneasiness that settled in her stomach at that. "What do you mean?"

It tsked again. "So many questions! It is no wonder you are a Wanderer. They are always so… inquisitive. No matter. Your questions will be answered in time. But first, young Wanderer, we will see to that wish of yours."

She saw the outline of too-wide eyes shift to the Jewel clasped in its palm. They widened further after a few moments, its smile shrinking slightly. "A pure wish?" It looked up at her, and she fought the urge to turn tail and run away at its angered tone. "Your wish is to bring back the life of the one you hate most?"

She shrank at its words, wanting to look away in shame but finding her eyes glued to the figure that called itself Truth. "You want to save someone who tried to kill you? You want to aid her even though she is the one you envy most?" it said, accusing her of all the anger and jealousy she'd felt towards Kikyou but never let anyone know about. "You would deny yourself your own wishes to fulfill hers? You would help the one who lives only because your own soul was split in two? You hate her, don't you? You've hated her since the first time the half-demon spoke her name instead of yours, the first time he mistook you for her, haven't you? And yet you'd wish her back into existence?"

The eyes narrowed at her as it put in its last jab. "You would gladly relinquish your claim on him simply because he prefers Kikyou to you?"

She winced visibly at its words. Guilt and pain flooded through her. It was all true. Kikyou had tried to kill her. She did envy her, and she was still pretty pissed off over the whole, "I'm your superior incarnation; give the rest of my soul back to someone who can actually use it" thing. But there was something this Truth had wrong, and she held onto that with her last bit of will. "No."

The leer that stretched its lips to an almost painful degree made her jaw tighten. "Just as I thought. No human could possibly make a pure—"

"I'm not glad," she interjected.

Truth stopped short. "What?"

"I'm not glad," she repeated, her voice more strong, more sure. "I am not glad that I have to leave," she said. "I am not glad I'll probably never see any of my friends again. I'm not glad that I only have half my soul, and I'm certainly not glad I am handing over the only man I've ever loved to his bitchy ex-with-issues."

The tears she'd held back for her friends' sake pricked her eyelids and gathered around her eyes, blurring her vision, but she plowed on. "You know what though? That won't stop me. I knew from the get-go my time was limited, and I've had seven years to prepare for this day. I was brought there to destroy the Jewel in your hand, and I _will_ do it—have no doubt of that. It's my job, my purpose, and if you think that after all I've gone through I'd screw up and have to redo everything all over again, well, you don't deserve to be called Truth."

The shadow gaped at her. She hastily wiped away her tears and glared at it defiantly. "Now hurry up and bring her back—for real this time, too. Actual flesh and blood, not just clay. I suspect Inuyasha's getting pretty worried at this point."

Truth continued to stare at her for several moments before it burst into laughter. The thousands of voices within in joined not-quite-perfectly, grating against her ears as the sound bounced around the empty space. She gritted her teeth and stood her ground as it finally calmed. The urge to clap her hands over her ears to shut out the noise slipped away. "You are a feisty one, aren't you?" it said, grinning from ear to ear.

Still smiling broadly, it tossed the Jewel in its hand into the air. Kagome watched as it slowed and turned, falling back into the opened mouth of Truth. She cringed internally as it licked its lips. "Delicious. Never could resist a soul or two a few centuries after its expiration date. Does help with the flavor, you know?" She remained silent, and it laughed again. "So easy to tease, young Wanderer! But I digress. Come."

It rose to its feet, turning from her and walking away. Kagome wavered for a half-second before following behind. "Where are we going?"

"You will see."

After a few minutes of walking along, they came upon another door. _Gate,_ Kagome corrected herself as she stared up at the massive structure before her. This one was also carved intricately, but with a noticeably different design. She felt her eyes widen when she saw what was engraved in the wood: demons, slayers, monks, priestesses, villagers… this was the door to the Feudal Era! She stepped forward, her hand brushing the surprisingly warm wood in the center.

"The well?" she whispered. "Why…?" Her eyes lifted and her jaw when slack in shock. There, rising above the well, was a girl dressed in a familiar modern school uniform, her long hair swirling around her in invisible wind. Her eyes were open and lacked pupils or irises of any sort, giving her the eerie blank gaze of a marble statue, and lying in her hands was a small circle from which the entirety of the artwork seemed to radiate.

"The Sacred Jewel," she said in wonder. "How… why am I engraved into a door—erm—Gate?"

"Your first assignment has been completed, young Wanderer," answered Truth. It reached up, opening the doors, which lead on into pure, starless night. As Kagome watched, the surface of the darkness seemed to ripple, lightening until it showed her friends, exactly as she'd left them. Her heart broke at the sight of Sango crying into Miroku's shoulder, Shippou bawling even more profusely into her neck. She took an inadvertent step forward, but was stopped by Truth's voices. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," it advised. She halted abruptly, glaring over her shoulder at it.

"Then what's the point of letting me see them?" she hissed. "Is this some sort of sick prank of yours?"

"Humans. So stupid!" said Truth. It moved around her, extending its hand and dipping its fingers into the scene above the image of Kikyou in Inuyasha's arms. The surface undulated because of the disturbance, but the people inside seemed to be unaffected. Kagome watched as Kikyou's form glowed a bright blue. Inuyasha's eyes snapped open in panic as the limp, injured woman was lifted into the air by some unknown force, blinding light and strong winds flowing around her.

The others turned to watch in awe as her wound mended itself. A strong pink light flew out of her at the same time an equally strong blue one appeared in the sky. They met, swirling together for several moments like a binary star before the pink one departed and the blue one sank into Kikyou's form. Her eyes flew open as the lost souls seeped out of her, jetting off into the sky one-by-one to the rest they had been denied in order to sustain the clay miko.

The wind calmed and said miko stared around her in apparent surprise as she was placed gently on her feet. Truth withdrew its hand from the image, its hand now glowing a bright pink and hundreds of tiny blue lights threading their way into the veins of his forearm.

Kikyou's jaw dropped when she saw Inuyasha, and the rest of Kagome's friends' jaws dropped when she spoke. "What the hell, Inuyasha?" the priestess snapped. "How did you break my seal?!"

"Kikyou?" he said, gaping at her.

Her now flashing eyes narrowed. "And what's with that bruise on your face? I thought I told you not to get into any more fights!" Kagome watched in thinly veiled astonishment as the priestess put hands on her hips. "You have a _lot_ of explaining to do, Inuyasha, starting with where you put the Sacred Jewel."

Sango, Miroku, and Shippou watched, gape-mouthed, as Inuyasha broke into the hugest grin they'd ever seen on him. "Kikyou, you're back to normal!" The trio plus Kagome stared at the half-demon as he embraced the priestess, who immediately flushed bright red.

"What—what are you doing?" she demanded, flustered. "Inuyasha? You better start talking right now!"

Kagome couldn't hold back a giggle as the scene faded and the doors swung shut. "Oh my gosh, that was too funny! Suddenly I'm not so worried about Inuyasha anymore." Her eyes saddened. "I wish I'd known she wasn't such a bitch for real when I had the chance. We might have gotten along."

"You wouldn't have," responded Truth, regarding its pink hand boredly. "Her soul had moved on; you were merely lending her a bit of yours to support her body and her memories."

Kagome cocked her head to the side. "But I thought we shared a soul?"

It sniggered. "Humans," it said, as if reminding itself, "Always so imaginative." It held up its glowing hand. "Although Kikyou was able to live with the aid of your soul, her own had passed on. She was simply memories and a life force. This soul is your own; it was created when you were born and will belong to no other."

"But I thought—"

"Incorrectly," it finished. It moved closer to her, not giving her a chance to inquire further, moving its glowing hand to press against her chest. She felt something inside of her shift as the pink light slipped into her. Tension in her chest she hadn't even noticed before relaxed and she sighed in relief as Truth pulled its hand away, smirking.

"Leave it to a Wanderer to make a pure wish that winds up with their gain in the end."

She shot it a look. "Why do you keep calling me 'Wanderer'? I have a name, you know."

"As do I," it responded, "But the use of names in the Between is unnecessary."

She stepped back from the Gate, glancing around at the white plane it called the Between. "The name fits," she murmured. She looked back at Truth when she didn't see a door obviously marked with busses and skyscrapers. "How do I go back to my time?"

Truth grinned again, and her heart sank at that look. A dark chill threaded its way up her feet and into her stomach. She didn't even have to listen to know what was coming. "The Gate to your dimension has closed," it said. "You are a Wanderer—you can never enter the same Gate twice, and every time you pass through the Between you're returned to the state you were in the first time you came."

She crossed her arms, refusing to break down—that would be giving this asshole just what he wanted. When she made her wish, she had been just as prepared to never see her mother, grandfather and brother again as she had to never see her friends again. She could mourn her loss later. "Then what, am I supposed to stick around with you for the rest of my life?" she said sarcastically. "Sounds kind of boring to me."

It smirked. "Oh believe me, it's no bore at all," it said. "But as much as I'd love the company, you are needed elsewhere, young Wanderer." There were dark twin sparks where its eyes should have been. "But I'll make you a deal, okay? Bring me back fourteen corrupted souls and I'll rebuke your status as Wanderer. I'll even throw in some tips for the road if you promise to get it over and done with in less than three years."

She frowned suspiciously. "Give me one reason I should trust you."

"I am Truth," it answered simply. She faltered at that answer. _Good point._ She shook her head.

"What happens if I don't finish in three years?"

The black aura around it darkened malevolently, and she braced herself against the assault on her own. "You'll just have to pay the toll then, won't you?" it simpered. "Don't worry—I'm sure you'll manage. You won't be alone."

Kagome stared at Truth for a long time, debating this inwardly. Three years wasn't that long at all. Hell, she'd backpacked around Japan for seven just to piece together one stupid piece of rock! But there was something about the way the shadow looked at her, almost as if it was daring her to say no, to say she wasn't capable of doing something like that, that gave her pause, made her want to prove that she _was_ capable. Her expression hardened. "Fourteen, you say," she said slowly. "I think I can manage. What sort of tips were you thinking?"

The smirk that spread across Truth's face made a chill run down her spine. "Don't fail me, young Wanderer," it said in its cold, metallic voice. "The toll is great."

She smiled, but there was no warmth in the expression. "I won't be paying any toll," she responded. "And that's a promise."

It laughed as a creaking sound echoed behind her and she turned, forcing herself to remain calm as another carved door that hadn't been there before swung open, revealing a huge, grey eye that was noticeably turned on its side. She fought down a cry of panic as hundreds of black hands reached out, latching onto her arms and legs and pulling her forward.

"Good luck, young Wanderer," came Truth's mocking voice from behind her. "Don't dilly-dally around too long."

Then the hands wound around her, pulling her into the darkness, and the Gate of Truth swung shut behind her.

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Disclaimers:**

I do not own Inuyasha or Fullmetal Alchemist, but I do own this story, and if you steal it I will get really pissed off at you. Any similarities between this and other fics is purely coincidental and if you accuse me of stealing, I will also get really pissed off at you. (I am rather easily pissed off.) Please bear in mind that there are bound to be likenesses between mine and other IY/FMA or FMA fics because I'm planning on following the FMA storyline (manga/2009 anime version), at least in the beginning, before Kagome messes up everything (hooray for crossovers!), so if it's related to the order of events, well, please don't bother bringing it up, okay?

This fic is rated T. I reserve the right to heated makeout scenes and excessive swearing/violence, and I also reserve the right to up the rating at any point if I so chose. I honestly don't think that'll happen; nevertheless, be prepared. The genres I chose (humor and romance) are the ones I thought most accurately reflected this particular fic, but that doesn't exclude the possibilities of tragic endings, awesome adventures, and friendship. They just aren't the focus. The reason I didn't mark a particular pairing is because I'm not sure of that particular aspect of this fic yet, and I doubt I'll mark it even after this is finished. Where's the fun in reading something if you know the ending anyway?

Updates will come and go as I see fit. I may mess around for months at a time just to put out a filler chapter and randomly go on hiatus right after a cliff-hanger, but I will finish this story. Eventually.


	2. The Gift of the Sun God

**Chapter 2:**

 **The Gift of the Sun God**

A bright light pierced the darkness beyond the Gate, making Kagome's head spin. Her hair flew back in a wind that didn't feel quite natural, and before she could even begin to comprehend what was happening, it began.

 _Alchemy. Equivalent Exchange. Transmutation._

Her teeth clenched together against the onslaught of information that came out of nowhere. Her head throbbed. She wanted to massage her temples, but her arms were still glued to her sides by the hands that wrapped around her, pushing her further and further into the swirling lights, the long strings of information pouring into her brain.

 _Philosopher's Stone. Elixir of Life. Science. Chemicals._

She winced as more and more of the information was forced into her head. It was like trying to cram for finals the night before the test. Actually, it was more like her head had been ripped open and three or four gigantic textbooks were trying to fit inside. There just wasn't enough room. It was too much. Too much…

 _Labs. Metals. Gold. Chimeras. Chrysopoeia._

A metallic taste filled her mouth, making her stomach flip unhappily inside her, and she realized she'd bit her lip so hard it was bleeding. She cursed inwardly, screwing her eyes shut and swallowing her scream. How long was this going to go on? How much could she take?

 _Cosmos. Purification. Hermeticism. Homunculus. Alkahestry. Chi._

A strangled cry of pain finally broke loose, echoing and fading in the swirling space. Once it was out she couldn't stop the next, and soon she was flailing wildly, screaming and yelling and fighting the hands that still held her fast. Her head was splitting open, she knew it. She was dying—dying! She was going to die from all the information that was stuffed inside her head.

 _Circles. Azoth._

"Let me go! Let me go, I don't want this!" Tears streaked down her face—or was it blood? She was too dazed to think.

 _Resurrect._

"No! I can't take anymore! Please!"

 _Immortality._

"Help me, someone! No!"

 _Base._

"Help me!"

 _Noble._

Her shriek of agony died in her throat as her whole body stiffened. Her blue eyes, bloodshot from her tears, were wide in horror and shock. One last word forced its way into her already oversaturated mind.

 _Energy._

Searing pain rippled over her in waves that began in her aching head and washed through her body, making her tremble. She didn't even register when the grips the hands had on her loosened. Her head rolled back and her eyes drifted shut as she fell.

 **-oOo-**

The crowds cheered when Cornello emerged onto the raised platform, the square ringing with shouts of "founder" and "miracles". The ever-smiling man waved at the people before catching a small bloom in his hand. He closed it between his palms and red light flashed around them. When he opened his hands again, it was to reveal a massive sunflower, which he held up over his head like a trophy.

Further back in the crowd, a huge man in silver armor and a small fifteen-year-old boy standing on his suitcase for visibility's sake looked on.

The armored man put his hands on his hips. "So what do you think?" he said in a surprisingly high voice for someone so big. "Looks like alchemy to me."

The boy nodded, shielding his eyes from the sun and the hundreds of flowers the priest had conjured that were now toppling out of the sky. His brow wrinkled in a frown. "The reaction, sure, but the law…"

"You came!" exclaimed a smiling teenage girl with dark hair and pink bangs who had appeared beside them. A flower landed in her hair and she giggled, pulling it out, and handed it to the huge man. "Well, what do you think? That _has_ to be the power of miracles. After all, Lord Cornello is the son of the sun god Leto."

The short, blonde-haired boy rubbed his hand over his mouth as a little girl in the front row held out her hands and offered Cornello a dead bird, tears on her cheeks. "Nope, definitely alchemy. Your Lord Cornello is a fake."

"But that's against the law," remarked the armored man thoughtfully.

"Hm, that's right…"

The girl cocked her head to the side in confusion. "What law?"

The blonde's face became serious. "Equivalent Exchange." His eyes widened in shock when Cornello held up his hands once again, releasing the bird into the sky. "Did you see that, Al?" he exclaimed, his eyes glued to the bird, which was now very much alive.

The armor nodded slowly. "Did he just bring that bird back to life?"

"That's nothing," said the girl. "At least, that's nothing for Lord Cornello."

Edward's eyes narrowed in suspicion as the priest raised his hands in the sky. A gust of wind blew through the square, making the blossoms scatter between their feet. "Citizens of Liore—"

He was cut off when a strange red light flashed behind him. The crowd gasped in surprise, covering their eyes. Cornello whirled—apparently, this wasn't a part of his act. When the people could finally look again, they drew in a collective breath at what they saw.

 **-oOo-**

The first thing she noticed when she opened her eyes was a hoard of people staring at her. She moaned, sitting up slowly, and noted that she had been lying on the hard concrete of a raised platform. She rubbed her head, which was still aching. "What the hell?" she muttered.

As soon as she spoke, it was as if the floodgates broke. "It's a girl!" "It's a _human_ girl!" "Lord Cornello is truly a miracle-worker!" "He created a human!" "Founder!" "I want to touch her!"

Her eyes popped out at that last remark and she hastily scooted back from the reaching hands of the crowd. _What the heck is wrong with these people?!_ She bit back a shriek as she felt a strong hand latch onto her wrist and haul her to her feet. She looked to her left and saw that the one who had picked her up was a tall, bald man in priests' robes. "What—?"

"Behold!" he boomed, cutting her off, as he pushed her hand into the air, "A girl sent from Leto! A miracle! All hail the mighty sun god!"

"All hail Leto!" the crowd cheered. "All hail the Founder, son of Leto! All hail the sun!"

Kagome looked around wildly, searching for a familiar face, but came up with nothing. Her head was still spinning with all the information that had been pushed inside, and she couldn't think straight enough to even comprehend her situation.

The priest turned to her, giving her a smile that made her want to go hide behind a couch. "You must be tired," he said.

"Eh?" she answered intelligently.

He turned to a burly, dark-haired man standing farther back on the platform and they shared a look. The man nodded and stepped forward. The priest offered another too-bright smile. "This is one of my followers. He'll see to it that you're given a place to stay."

Kagome gulped. This guy was definitely bad news. He'd just claimed she was some sort of girl from the sun god, for crying out loud! The dark-haired man grabbed her wrist and her eyes went wide. "Wai—what are you—?" He yanked on her wrist, silencing her as a jolt of pain shot up through her arm. She stumbled behind him helplessly, still gape-mouthed and unable to form a full sentence, as he dragged her away.

 **-oOo-**

"Human transmutation," Alphonse whispered in a mixture of awe and horror.

Edward watched grimly as the girl in the strange green skirt and white blouse was pulled off the podium and disappeared into the crowd. "Somehow I doubt that," he muttered. His eyes flickered back to Cornello, who had once again begun his "sermon", and narrowed when he noticed the ring on his left hand.

Alphonse noticed at the same time. "Is that—?"

The short boy's lips curled into a grin. "Bingo." He hopped off his suitcase, picking it up, and put on his best stupid smile. "Rose! I think I really am starting to believe," he lied. "I simply must talk with this Lord Cornello of yours, right away!"

Her face brightened. "Really? I knew you'd come to your senses at some point! It's impossible not to see the miracles Lord Cornello works. No alchemy could create a real girl!"

Ed laughed, but he didn't miss the look Alphonse shot him. _Got that right._

 **-oOo-**

Kagome huffed. She would have crossed her arms over her chest, if not for the fact that they were tied together behind the back of the chair she was currently lashed to. _What a day_ , she thought ruefully. _First, I destroy an evil half-demon bent on world domination, and then I resurrect my rival, who turns out to have been so bitchy for the past seven years because she was even deader than we thought. Then I have a little chitchat with "Truth" in the "Between" next to the "Gate of Truth"… Geez, that's an excessive amount of unnecessary proper nouns in one day. Finally, I have the biggest and most abrupt cram session of my life—and, like all my previous attempts at cramming, I can't remember a single word—and wind up with some weirdo claiming I'm a girl sent from Leto, or something._

 _And now I'm tied up. This is starting to get old._

She sighed in defeat. When the priest across the room from her, currently gazing out his window as if imitating the stereotypical ancient Greek philosopher, didn't turn around, she frowned and sighed louder. At last, he turned to look at her. She grimaced at his expression—didn't he know anything other than smiling?

"So…" she said conversationally when he just stood there smiling at her for several moments, "Do you actually have a reason for tying me up or are you just going to stand there observing the scenery all day?"

He chuckled, but there was no warmth in the sound, as he walked up to her and sat down in the exceedingly comfy-looking armchair across from her. "Where did you come from?"

She rolled her eyes. "The sun god, Leto, or did you forget?"

His smile didn't budge. "Tell the truth or suffer the consequences."

She pursed her lips at him in anger. "The mysterious beyond," she said mockingly. "Another time, another place, another dimension. The Between."

"Don't lie to me, girl."

"But it's not a lie," she said innocently. Her scornful air faded, replaced by a hard look. "What I want to know is why you lied to all those people. You're not who you say you are, are you?"

"I'm asking the questions here."

"Equivalent Exchange." The words toppled from her mouth before she could even think about them, and she frowned. _Where did that come from?_

His smile lessened slightly. "An alchemist?"

She glared at him. _I hate it when people say stuff and I have no idea what they're talking about!_ He took her silence as an affirmative. "Then I'll let you in on a secret, alchemist," he said sarcastically, holding up his hand to show a small, silver band. In the center was a circular red stone.

She regarded it warily, noting the Sacred Jewel-esque aura. _Great. Now there's another one._ "What is that?"

"The Philosopher's Stone," he responded. She raised her eyebrows at his tone. Obviously, this Philosopher's Stone thing offered some serious bragging rights.

"How'd you get it?" she asked.

"A gift."

She was about to ask what exactly this gift was capable of when the door flew open, revealing the same dark-haired man from earlier. "Founder, there is someone requesting an interview," he said, completely ignoring the girl who was tied up in the priest's study. "A little boy and armored man calling themselves the Elric brothers."

The founder frowned. "Tell them I'm busy." Suddenly his eyes widened. "Wait, did you say the Elric brothers? Edward Elric?"

"Yes, I think that was one of their names. Why? Do you—?"

"Hey!" Kagome interrupted, fed up with being overlooked. The man looked at her as if just seeing her, and she continued. "Don't just ignore me—I'm tied to a chair, for crying out loud!"

The priest went on as if she hadn't even spoken. "This is bad," he said. "That's the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric!"

"What?!"

"Hello? I'm trying to talk here!" put in a fuming Kagome.

"He can't be. He's such a pipsqueak!"

"Age is unimportant. It's said he passed the exam when he was _twelve_."

"I see… so he really is that rumored brat… But why would a state alchemist be here? Could it be he knows about our plan?"

"The dogs of the military have excellent noses."

"Should I send him away?"

"No. Too suspicious." The priest's eyes took on a malicious gleam as he said, "How about, they never came here?"

The dark-haired man smirked as he nodded and exited the room. The priest looked back at Kagome, who was currently straining against her ropes. "I'll be back," he said boredly. "Don't go anywhere."

She sent him a hateful look as he left through a different door on the other side of the room. _You think?_ After a few more minutes of struggling, she stopped and let out a low whine. "Why does this have to happen to me?" she asked aloud.

 _Boom._

She flinched as the vibrations from whatever-it-was rattled the glass on the coffee table. _What the heck was that?_ She stilled, waiting to see if it would happen again, and was rewarded when, after several seconds, the sound repeated:

 _Boom._

The glass rattled again. Kagome looked down at the ropes holding her and swore, then scowled. _Inuyasha really did rub off on me._ After regarding the ropes for a few more minutes, the idea of using her powers to free herself crossed her mind, and she debated that. Her priestess powers weren't good for much more than healing and purifying, but what other option did she have? Might as well try.

Her mind made up, she closed her eyes, reaching inside herself for the power hidden deep within. Her lips curled into a frown when she noticed that they felt different now, more… snappy. Raw. Like electricity. She pushed the thought aside—the snappier, the better. Purity wasn't exactly going to get her out of this situation, was it? _Although I swear I'll purify this whole "dimension" if they're sealed again._

When she'd latched onto the power, she drew it out slowly, carefully. She was suddenly grateful for all the practice she'd done in her quest to outshine Kikyou over the past few years (one that had failed miserably up until the final battle itself). All that time spent meditating, waking up at dawn to run and train, and purifying random minor youkai who were unfortunate enough to cross her path was finally starting to pay off. The energy skittered over her skin, and she focused it on the ropes.

There was a flash of light so bright she saw it through her eyelids, and she opened her eyes. A smug grin spread across her lips at the obvious lack of ropes before she registered what she was seeing. When she did, she blinked in confusion.

 _Why am I wearing my junior high uniform?_

 **-oOo-**

Edward and Alphonse stood together outside the door to the founder's room. Edward put his hands on his hips and glared at the door in his usual challenging manner. "So this is the founder's room Rose told us about," he said, a bit too loudly, to make sure their bluff was being passed on. Alphonse was just grateful no one could see his expression—he was an awful liar, even if he was doing it for a good reason. Never let it be said that being bound to armor was _all_ bad.

Edward made as if to leave. "Oh well…" he said, again much louder than necessary. If Alphonse could have, he'd have rolled his eyes. Edward smirked and shot him a thumbs-up when the door began to open of its own accord. When it stopped, they stepped inside. Silence greeted them, and Ed called out, "Aren't you supposed to say 'Welcome'?" He frowned when the door swung shut behind them.

"Welcome to our holy church," came a too-kind voice from their right. They turned to see Cornello descending the steps at the front of the church, a lantern in tow. "Did you come to learn our teachings?"

"Yeah," Edward mocked, "Like how you're tricking your believers with cheap alchemy!"

Cornello's expression didn't change at all. "Hm, I wonder what you're talking about…? My miracles certainly aren't alchemy. If you saw it once you'd understand."

"I already saw." The blonde's eyes narrowed. "The thing I don't get is how you were able to transmute something while ignoring the laws, and how you brought that bird back to life. _And_ how that girl got there all of a sudden."

''That's why I said it wasn't alchemy…" the priest said, scratching his bald head as if confused.

"I thought so," said Edward confidently, noting the ring on his finger. "You're using the Philosopher's Stone." Cornello stopped scratching his head, and Edward went on, "It's that ring, isn't it?"

The priest studied him for a long time before his smile finally faded. "I should have expected no less from a state alchemist," he said. "You're right. This is that mysterious power-amplifier thought to only exist in legends, with which we alchemists can bypass the rule of Equivalent Exchange."

The boy's mouth tugged into a grin as his eyes traced the path of the priest's hand—or, more accurately, the stone—in the air. "I've been looking for that."

 **-oOo-**

 _Boom!_

Kagome shot up to her feet at the sound emanating from the door through which Cornello had disappeared. That didn't sound like a gun. _Did I seriously just sit around for five minutes staring at my clothes?_ She cursed again, debating whether to check out what was going on in the next room or high tail it out of the place for good. A surge of energy from the next room, followed by a distinctly inhuman roar, made the decision for her.

She searched the room quickly for something to use as a weapon and was rewarded when she caught sight of a black bow with golden carvings and a matching quiver. They were hung on the wall next to a bunch of other weapons, and she crossed the room, taking the bow in her hands. She almost cried at her luck. _I don't know why bows just conveniently pop up around me all the time, but it sure as hell is convenient!_

Another roar echoed through the room, and she shook herself from her thoughts, donning the quiver, withdrawing an arrow and hurrying over to the door. It didn't have a lock or handle on it, so she leaned up against it, pushing it open with her shoulder.

The door opened onto a stairwell that lead down to the front of what she assumed was some sort of church. The fake priest was standing there, holding up a lantern. Her eyes traveled to the short teenage boy in the center of the church and she gasped. A massive demon with a lion's head and front legs and a lizards haunches and tail was latched onto his arm, chewing and gnawing. She winced. _That has to hurt._ Her gaze flickered to his face and she was shocked to see his expression didn't betray any pain at all.

 _But how's that possible…?_

The demon soon became aggravated and pressed down harder, trying to get a grip on the boy's arm, and the boy shot it a look. "What's wrong, ya stupid cat?" he growled. "Get a real good taste!" Kagome's eyes widened when he brought up one foot, slamming the demon beneath its jaw and sending it flying halfway across the room. It didn't move again. _How did he do that? Inuyasha can't even take out a demon barehanded in one strike like that!_

The boy turned, facing a girl on the opposite side of the church with dark hair and a simple white dress. "Take a good look, Rose," he said, taking hold of his deep red cloak and pulling it away to expose an arm made entirely of metal. "This is what comes of human transmutation."

 _Human… transmutation?_ Kagome's head throbbed suddenly and her hand flew to her forehead, her arrow toppling to the ground with a clatter. _Stupid Truth! Stupid "tips for the road"! Stupid, stupid hands!_ She fell to her knees, clutching her head. Wasn't she at least supposed to _remember_ these "tips"? What good were they if after all that trouble they didn't even stick?

"Big brother, it's that girl from earlier!" she heard a young boy's voice say. _Great. Way to blow my cover,_ she thought sarcastically. She pushed her headache down on her "To Do" list, right after getting away from the creepy priest dude, and forced herself to her feet, once again knocking her arrow and aiming it at said creepy priest, who saw the bow in her hands and immediately began to laugh.

"An alchemist! Wielding a bow!" he guffawed.

Her eyes slanted dangerously as her powers crackled inside her, flitting over her skin and charging the bow with bright red light. She noted the change from pink to red, but that was also knocked down on her list. "You don't want me pissed off. I've had a _very_ long day," she warned.

"Oh yes," he said, "No doubt jumping between dimensions left and right."

"Got _that_ right." She spared a glance at the young girl, blonde guy and armored man, and her eyes settled on the boy, deciding he must be the leader. Was he this Edward Elric they'd been talking about? She glanced briefly at his metal arm and wondered if that was what he was talking about when he said "human transmutation." _Too bad for Sesshoumaru they don't have youkai transmutation there. Bet he'd appreciate it._

She grimaced at the thought of the taiyoukai restored to his previous two-armed state. _Better if he never knows._ "You," she said. She jerked her head towards the door on the other side of the church. "Leave." She turned back to the priest and her grip on the bow tightened. "Kids shouldn't be involved with this kind of person."

"KID?!" the boy bellowed. "WHO YOU CALLING SO SHORT HE COULD FIT IN IN MIDGETVILLE?!"

She flinched and gave him a look that clearly said, "What the hell?" Why was he suddenly yelling at her anyway? Did he have some sort of height issue? She rolled her eyes. _Little Man Syndrome…_ "Just beat it already, okay? I'll take care of this."

"Like hell!" he shot back. "Who are you, anyway? And what's with the outfit?!"

She could have sworn a vein popped in her forehead, and she lowered her bow slightly so she could have a better vantage point for yelling at the brat. "My clothes are irrelevant! Get out!"

His jaw clenched in anger. "I'm not getting out. This is our fight, not yours!"

"Last I checked _I'm_ the one he abducted, not _you_!"

"All the more reason for you to get away if you can't even defend yourself!"

Kagome growled in frustration. "I can defend myself just fine!"

"What, with that bow of yours? Give me a break."

"Excuse you! I'll have you know that I freaking saved the world this morning, and with a bow that happened to be much less decorative!" She jabbed a finger at him, her bow forgotten. "Have _you_ ever saved the world, you lazy twerp?"

He laughed, the twerp comment going straight over his head. "Saved the world? You? That's just too much!"

Her eye twitched. "Don't make fun of me, brat! I'll have you know I am _the_ guardian of the Sacred Jewel, the Jewel of Four Souls. You don't even begin to measure up!"

"WHO YOU CALLING SO TINY HE HAS TO STAND ON A SUITCASE TO SEE OVER THE CROWD?!"

"WHAT THE HELL? You're supposed to listen to the part about me having saved the world and stuff, not my opinion of your height!"

"Oh, so you _have_ an opinion, huh?" he asked, completely ignoring the cause of her anger. "Well then, out with it!"

Kagome screamed, exasperated. How the hell long was this going to go on? "Just shut up and go away!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"NO!"

"YES!"

"ENOOOOOOOOOOOUGH!" Both Kagome and the boy jumped about two feet in the air, whirling from their argument to face him. Kagome's jaw went slack in horror when she saw the massive machine guns he was wielding—one pointed at her, the other at the brat. His smile was contorted into a crazy grin that reminded her all too much of Naraku. "I've had enough of this! DIE!"

Then he fired.

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Disclaimers:**

I do not own Inuyasha or Fullmetal Alchemist, but I do own this story, and if you steal it I will get really pissed off at you. Any similarities between this and other fics is purely coincidental and if you accuse me of stealing, I will also get really pissed off at you. (I am rather easily pissed off.) Please bear in mind that there are bound to be likenesses between mine and other IY/FMA or FMA fics because I'm planning on following the FMA storyline (manga/2009 anime version), at least in the beginning, so if it's related to the order of events, well, please don't bother bringing it up, okay?

This fic is rated T. I reserve the right to heated makeout scenes and excessive swearing/violence, and I also reserve the right to up the rating at any point if I so chose. I honestly don't think that'll happen; nevertheless, be prepared.

Updates will come and go as I see fit. I may mess around for months at a time just to put out a filler chapter and randomly go on hiatus right after a cliff-hanger, but I will finish this story. Eventually.


	3. Fault of Accident

**Chapter 3:**

 **Fault of Accident**

 _No way am I dying now!_

Kagome tossed her new weapon to the side and leapt over the edge of the stairwell, plummeting to the floor as shot after shot resounded in the cavernous church. She forced her knees to go slack and allowed herself to tumble forward over her shoulder, ending up in a crouched position.

Resisting the urge to gloat at her superspy-worthy touchdown, she immediately darted over to the stairwell, hiding in the shadows so the priest wouldn't see her—and shoot at her again.

When the shooting stopped she let her eyes travel to the place where the man, girl, and brat had stood. She grimaced at the sight of all that dust. _I told them to run, but did they listen to me? Nope._ When the dust cleared to reveal a huge wall in front of where the brat had been standing, now riddled with indents, her eyes widened in disbelief. _What the—how did that get there?!_

The brat laughed from behind said wall. The priest's loud exclamation of "WHAT?" echoed her thoughts perfectly.

"Nice try, buddy," the blonde taunted. "But you'll have to do better than that!"

The priest caught sight of the armored man who had scooped up the girl. "You!" Discarding his first machine gun, he focused on them and began firing again. The girl shrieked as the man turned, letting the bullets bounce off his back. The clang of metal on metal filled the large church.

"Hey!" Kagome yelled, fed up with the priest's antics. She wasn't going to let him get away with that—that girl could wind up dead! Against her better judgment, she jumped out from her hiding place in the shadows, racing across the room in a streak of white and green.

The firing stopped temporarily and she skidded to a halt near the rock wall the brat had erected in front of him. She searched the ground quickly and snatched up the first rock she found, pressing it between her palms and letting her sparking powers charge it with energy.

The priest lowered his gun, apparently deeming it unnecessary, and laughed. "You honestly think a _rock_ could hurt me? You are a greater fool than I had realized, alchemist girl!"

A tick mark of annoyance popped up on Kagome's temple. Why was it that all these evil guys were constantly underestimating her? Did she really appear so powerless? Well, this one was about to get it, whether he liked it or not! When she had stuffed the rock with as much power as she could muster, she wound her arm back. "Eat purity, smiley!" she screamed, hurling the super-charged ball of energy at Cornello.

The priest's eyes widened as the rock hurdled towards him. He moved to raise his hands in front of his face, but it was too late. The rock hit him square in the forehead. His mouth opened in a silent scream, his eyes bugging out. The rock crackled with red energy. There was a sickening breaking sound, like stepping on a beetle.

Then he fell. And didn't get up again.

Time stopped. Kagome's satisfaction vanished like a balloon deflating, a ghost of a triumphant smile still on her face. Her throat went dry. _Did I just…?_

"Founder?"

The quiet feminine voice cut through the silence, sending a chill down Kagome's spine. Her head turned slowly to her left. A door she hadn't noticed before had been opened, and there stood the burly, dark-haired man from earlier, now accompanied by a girl in her late twenties and an older man. Their faces were painted with shock.

Kagome's mouth opened and shut several times before she found the will to speak. "I—"

"You killed him?" asked the dark-haired man, cutting her off. His hands were beginning to shake. He balled them into fists.

Guilt swept through her. She glanced at the fallen priest, who hadn't moved. She had a feeling he never would. She looked back at the people in the doorway helplessly. "I didn't mean to," she said weakly, and she hadn't. She'd wanted to incapacitate him long enough for them to escape, maybe zap him a little, but certainly not kill him. Killing was so severe, so final. Even if he was a fraud, she hadn't wanted to _kill_ him.

"You killed the Founder!" the man yelled.

The woman pressed her hands to her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes. Kagome stumbled forwards a step, her hand reaching out helplessly and her expression pleading, but the woman gave a little shriek and flinched backward.

Kagome froze, her arm falling limply to her side. The shouts of the two men calling for others barely registered in her mind. As she stared at the woman, whose eyes were still glued to her in a mixture of fear and disgust, it occurred to her that this must be how Inuyasha felt when villages wouldn't allow him in because of his half-demon blood. But there was a glaring difference between the two of them, one that made her feel sick to her stomach: his blood hadn't been his fault, but the death of the Founder was entirely hers.

She had just killed a human being.

Someone was shaking her arm, yelling at her. She blinked as the words became clear. "Come on, bow-chick, we gotta get out of here!"

Kagome looked to her right and saw that it was the brat. Now that he was close to her, she realized he was actually taller than she was.

She shook her head. Now was not the time to be thinking about the height issues she and twerpy apparently shared! She looked back over her shoulder and saw that the two men had been joined by several more, most of whom were wielding guns that were now pointed directly at them.

 _Shit._ Forcing herself to ignore the woman who had sunk to her knees, her shoulders trembling with sobs and her face buried in her hands, Kagome shook off the brat's gloved hand and dashed over to the pink-banged girl, who had been staring slack-jawed at the fallen Founder since Kagome had…

Kagome shoved the thought away and snatched the girl's hand. She'd worry about that kind of thing later, when they weren't running from what was quickly becoming an angry mob.

The girl was jolted from her gape-mouthed observation when Kagome began dragging her towards the door leading to Father Cornello's study. After a short moment the girl picked up on what was happening and Kagome loosened her grip on her wrist. She had just enough time to snatch up her discarded bow and quiver as they raced through the open door, chased by the sharp crashes of gunshots. The armored guy and twerp followed suit, and Kagome slammed the door shut after them. Twerp immediately did an about-face, slapping his hands together before pressing them to the floor. Kagome's eyes went wide as energy crackled through the floor up into the door. The wall warped slightly, and then the door melted into the wall behind it.

"Wh—wha—what was _that?!_ " she squeaked, pointing weakly at the wall. She heard a couple more gunshots on the other side of the door-made-wall.

Ignoring her, twerp turned and thrust his hand out to his brother. In it were the crumbled remains of the stone that had been on Cornello's ring. Kagome watched as the last dredges of Jewel-esque energy slipped away.

"Useless," spat the twerp. "It was a fake."

"A fake?" replied the armored man, disbelief clear in his rather high-pitched voice.

Twerp brushed the pieces off his hands, letting them scatter on the floor. "And here I thought I'd be able to restore you…"

"Ooooookay," Kagome cut in, tired of a) being clueless and b) being ignored for the umpteenth time today, which just so happened to be the only day so far she had ever saved the world and therefore deserved attention. Twerp and Armor glanced at her, seeming to just realize she was there. She sucked in a breath, preparing for a rant, but Twerp beat her to it, taking a step forward and slightly in front of Armor.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "Where did you come from?"

She huffed, crossing her arms. "Who are you, and where are we?"

"I asked first," he said angrily. "How did you kill Cornello?"

A sharp ache pulled in her chest. "I… I didn't mean to," she murmured, glancing away. "I just wanted to get rid of the Jewel he was using. My powers don't usually hurt humans."

"Powers?" Twerp frowned at her. "Jewel? You mean the fake Philosopher's Stone?"

"I think so." She pressed a hand to her forehead to ease her headache while she used the other to fidget with her skirt. She swallowed. "I don't know how I killed—" She stopped abruptly as another slew of words and ideas raced through her head. _Energy. Short-circuit. Nerves._

Kagome gritted her teeth. "I really don't think now is the time to be worrying about that," she ground out. "We need to get out of here. They're pissed." Intending to end the conversation there and not bring it up again, she turned to where she thought the girl should have been standing, but she wasn't there. Kagome blinked. "Where'd—?"

"Rose!" The armored man's voice cut her off. Kagome looked around and froze at the sight of the gun that was now leveled at her face.

Angry tears rolled down the girl's cheeks. Kagome's lips parted in shock.

"Rose, what are you—?!"

"He was going to bring him back!" she screamed. She gun shook dangerously in her hands. "He promised me he'd bring him back if I prayed hard enough and you killed him!"

The color drained from Kagome's face.

"Rose…" began Armor.

"NO! He told me he could bring him—bring him back…" She sniffled, more tears gushing from her eyes.

"You can't bring someone back from the dead, Rose," said Twerp. There was something in his voice that was deeper than his words. _Regret._ He held up his metal arm. "This is what comes of human transmutation, Rose. There's a reason it's forbidden."

 _The toll._ The words itched against her ears.

Rose's eyes flitted between Kagome and Twerp. Slowly, she began to lower the gun…

"OPEN UP!"

 _BAM!_

Kagome shrieked, her left leg buckling beneath her as pain shot through her thigh. Rose's strangled cry mingled with her own as Twerp swore.

"Al, we have to get them out of here!"

Kagome whimpered, clutching her thigh. Blood oozed between her fingers. She hadn't the slightest idea how bad the wound actually was, and she didn't have the nerve to look. _Guns are scary._ She let out a yelp of pain as she was lifted up into someone's arms. _Armor._

"Sorry," he said. "It'll be okay." He picked up Rose with the other arm and strode purposefully to the window.

He then proceeded to kick out the glass and leap out into the open air. Both girls screamed. Pain laced through Kagome's leg when they landed on the roof of the house next door. She latched onto the hard arm holding onto her with one arm and clutched her bow and quiver with the other, squeezing her eyes shut as they set off over the rooftops. After a moment, she began to hear the sounds of bullets ricocheting off Armor's… armor.

 _We're gonna get shot!_ She forced herself to open her eyes and saw that Twerp was racing after them, chased by bullets fired from the window of what appeared to be a massive church. She clenched her jaw in concentration and managed to construct a weak barrier between Twerp and the church. It glowed with swirling red patterns where the bullets struck it.

 _No more pink, I guess,_ she mused.. _I guess I really am in another dimension…_

For some reason, Kagome found herself feeling very, very dizzy.

 **-oOo-**

Kagome lay still for a long moment before realizing she was staring at a wall, and for another long moment before she realized she was in a bed. Vaguely confused, she shifted to her other side. Her eyes widened as pain burned her thigh, and she gasped sharply, suddenly wide-awake.

 _Oh, that's right. She shot me because…_

Kagome closed her eyes. An ache tugged at her throat and stung the rims of her eyes.

 _Shocked eyes bulging from their sockets. A mouth open in horror and pain. Red energy hissing and crackling. Tears._

Kagome opened her eyes, forcing the images out of her head. She didn't have time for this right now. She had to figure out what was going on. She had to make sure the others were alright.

Steeling herself, she pulled off the sheet that had covered her. Someone had bandaged her leg, and had obviously done a good job of it.

Kagome smiled to herself. _Kaede would have approved._

She felt a pang in her chest and her smile faded.

" _We're going to win today, Kaede. I can feel it."_

" _That is good, Kagome," the old miko replied, her brow wrinkling as she squinted to see the fletching of the arrow she was finishing off. "You have spent too much time on this. Ever since our aunt died and the villagers named you their new miko…"_

Kagome swallowed the cottony feeling on the back of her tongue. In the past two years, Kaede's slips had become more and more frequent. And not just about Kagome and Kikyou—she once forgot Miroku's name, calling him Tomoe or Tamoe or something of that sort, and another time she couldn't remember what the Sacred Jewel was. Kagome guessed it was Alzheimer's, or at least something similar.

"We have to wake her up!"

The whisper-yell from outside the door snatched her from her reverie. She looked up, remembering once again where she was.

"Ed, she needs rest," replied a rather high-pitched male voice that Kagome recognized as Armor-guy. She carefully shifted her legs over the side of the bed and tested out her thigh by pressing down with her feet.

She grimaced. _This is going to hurt._ She looked up and glanced around. The room she was in was small, with only a dresser, a closet, and the bed she had been sleeping in. Faint sunlight trickled in through a tiny window above the bed, illuminating a small patch on the closet door with a warm orange light.

"What she _needs_ is to wake up so we can get the hell out of here before those idiots find us!" replied Ed.

Cornello had mentioned an Edward Elric. _The "Fullmetal Alchemist".._.

 _That would be twerp, I suppose._ She stood up and, choosing to ignore the throbbing ache from her leg, and hobbled her way to the door.

"But Ed, what if she—"

"She" swung the door open quietly, leaning against the doorframe and keeping the pain from showing in her face. Armor fell silent. Twerp—Ed—was standing next to him.

He began to frown at the sight of her, but then his expression contorted and a deep blush spread across his cheeks and he looked away suddenly, covering his mouth with his hand. Armor also turned his head to avoid looking at her directly.

Kagome blinked at them. Then she looked down. Whoever had bandaged her leg had also removed the rest of her clothing to check for other injuries, leaving her in only her bra, panties, and the leg bandage. She froze, her eyes widening. Color rushed to her face as she clenched her fists in indignation, looking up to glare at the two males. "Perverts!" she shrieked, moving backwards as quickly as her injured leg would carry her and slamming the door shut behind her.

"WHAT?!" came Ed's immediate reply. "We didn't do anything! You're the one that came prancing out in your underthings!"

Kagome's entire body flushed in fury and embarrassment. "You didn't have to look!" she yelled back through the door as she began to search the room for some clothes to put on.

"I'm so sorry!" Armor was repeating (in various forms) the whole time. "I didn't mean to!"

"Where _else_ were we supposed to look? You were just suddenly there! We didn't ask you to join our conversation, you know!"

Ignoring her burning face and the boys' accusative yells/pleas for forgiveness, Kagome tugged open the closet doors. It contained many pieces of female clothing, all about her size. She noted that her junior high uniform was nowhere to be found.

Frowning, she sorted through the clothes and picked out the first thing she liked—a simple sky-blue sundress that looked like it would be about knee-length. She turned slightly and realized there was a mirror on the inside of one of the closet doors. She caught sight of her reflection and noticed whoever had bandaged her wound had also scrubbed her down as well as they could with a sponge or something. The last traces of demon blood from that morning had been wiped away, and although her hair was starting to get a bit greasy, the worst of the tangles were now gone. _I can't believe all that happened just this morning. This has been one long day…_

Kagome's brow wrinkled as she noticed something else. Something distinctly strange. The corners of her mouth tugged downward as she stepped closer to the mirror. The patch of sunlight was now shining onto the side of her torso.

Her eyelids flew open and the dress fluttered to the ground. A tiny squeak escaped her as she clapped her hands over her mouth.

" _Every time you pass through the Between you're returned to the state you were in the first time you came."_

Gingerly, she reached down with one of her hands and prodded her side with a finger. _Smooth._ She felt the skin around her side to check if she'd missed it, and then checked the other side just in case.

It was gone. The scar she'd received when Mistress Centipede had ripped the Sacred Jewel from her side.

" _What's with the outfit?"_

Kagome groaned and closed her eyes. "I cannot believe this."

She was fifteen again.

"Hey! Hurry up, Miss Public Exposure!" Ed grouched loudly from behind her door, waking her from her thoughts. Armor continued to apologize.

Kagome growled under her breath. "I'll be done in just a second!" she yelled back, bending slowly to pick up the dress before pulling it over her head. It wasn't a perfect fit, but it would do for now. She also picked through the shoes at the bottom of the closet and took a pair of ballet flats before slipping them on. These did fit perfectly, thank goodness, and when Kagome answered the door again, she looked a lot more decent while doing so.

She narrowed her eyes at the boys. "Who bandaged my leg?" she demanded.

Ed narrowed his eyes right back. "Rose did."

Kagome relaxed slightly at that. Then she frowned again. _Wasn't she the one who shot me?_

Preferring not to question hospitality when it was extended to her, she pushed the thought away. "Who are you guys?" she asked.

Ed huffed slightly. "My name's Ed, and this is my brother Al. We're the Elric brothers," he put in, as if expecting her to recognize their names.

Kagome, of course, did not. "That's lovely," she said dryly. She saw Ed shoot her a glare. "I'm Kagome Higurashi," she continued. "What's with the armor, by the way?"

The Elrics exchanged glances. After a moment, they both shrugged. Al cleared his throat. "It's kind of… shocking," he warned. He lifted his hands and pulled off his helmet to reveal that no one was there.

Kagome arched a brow. "A possessed suit of armor?"

Al chuckled, putting his helmet back on. "Sort of."

"You don't seem surprised at all," Ed said, something like accusation hiding under his tone.

She gave him a look. "I've seen much weirder," she said. A sense of smugness made her smirk and cross her arms. She found she liked her new gloating rights: finally, _she_ was the one who knew what was going on. "Now, you mentioned leaving?"

Ed crossed his arms. "Yeah. Come on." They led her down the hallway to some stairs, which led into what appeared to be a kitchen. A woman was facing away from them, washing her hands in the sink. She turned around when they came in, and Kagome saw that it was the girl from earlier, Rose. Her eyes found Kagome's and they stared at one another for a long moment before Rose looked away.

"Thank you for fixing me up," Kagome said carefully.

"No problem," Rose replied. "I'm training to be a nurse."

 _Training?_ Kagome thought to herself. She caught sight of the bow and quiver she'd taken from Cornello's office leaning against one of the walls. She went (read: "limped over") to pick them up as Ed spoke.

"Thanks for helping us out, Rose," he said, "But we really need to get going before the rioters find Kagome."

Kagome picked up her new weapons. _Great. I started a riot,_ she thought to herself. "Where are we going?"

"We're taking you to New Optain," said Ed. "You need to see a real doctor and have that bullet taken out before it gets infected." He exhaled shortly in what could have been a light scoff or an aggravated sigh. "We're not going to find one around here willing to help you, I'm afraid."

"Okay…" Kagome fiddled with the feathering of one of her new arrows. "And where exactly is 'here' again?"

"Liore," Rose supplied. She leaned against the counter behind her and cocked her head to the side. "I take it you're not from around here."

Kagome shook her head, slinging the quiver of arrows over her shoulder. "Definitely not." Not wanting to go into that and have them think she was a complete nuthead, she changed the subject. "Are these your clothes?"

Rose nodded. "You can have them. They don't stand out as much as your other clothes. Which are right there, by the way," she said, gesturing to the table, where her uniform was stacked neatly on the table.

"Thanks."

"We need to get out of here," Ed put in. "Thanks Rose."

She gave a wry smile. Kagome's jaw tightened when she noticed the girl's red-rimmed eyes—she had been crying. "No problem."

Al thanked Rose as he and his brother moved toward the door. Ed ran a gloved hand over his hair as he opened the door for his brother and Kagome. Al went outside, but Kagome hesitated at the door.

"Come on, we have to go," Ed urged.

She shook her head slightly, pulling herself from her thoughts. "Yeah…" She looked at Rose and their eyes met. Kagome swallowed. "I'm sorry," she said. As if that was enough.

Rose gave a short laugh. "Be careful."

And then Ed got tired of waiting and pulled her outside himself.

 **-oOo-**

Several alleys' worth of sneaking and limping and hiding from rioting civilians later, the three teenagers finally made it to the station. Kagome was about ten seconds away from ripping Ed's braid right off his head. Ed was having similar feelings. Al just hoped they stopped bickering soon so that all three of them wouldn't get caught.

"Okay, see that train?" said Ed, jabbing a finger at the nearest train. There weren't many passengers on the train, but it was obviously preparing to leave the station soon.

Ed, Al, and Kagome were currently hiding behind some barrels behind the ticket booth.

"No, I don't see," Kagome retorted. "Maybe you should be more clear?"

"Would you shut up already?" Ed whisper-screeched.

Kagome gasped and put a mocking finger over her lips, shushing him. "They'll hear us!" she said, feigning extreme concern.

"Yes, they _will_ , if you keep screwing around!"

"Oh my _gosh_ ," she said, rolling her eyes. She poked her head out from behind the barrels. There was almost no one left on the platform. The conductor was pacing evenly along the platform, occasionally glancing at his watch. Kagome glanced around. Their hiding place was only about fifteen feet from the train, and only a few more feet away from where two of the cars linked together. The car to their right was a passenger car, as were all the cars in that direction, but to the left were several freight cars and a coal car, and then the engine.

"What are you—?"

"Shhh!" She focused again on the conductor. _Twelve paces that way, pause, twelve paces this way, pause, repeat…_ "Guys, get ready," she said, tightening her grip on her bow. "I'm going first, okay? I'll wave you across as soon as you have an opening."

"But—!"

 _Pause_. "See ya!" she whispered as the conductor turned and began to walk in the opposite direction. Clenching her jaw and willing herself to tread lightly despite the pain in her thigh, she darted to the train and slipped between the two cars and onto the small deck of the passenger car. She held her breath, waiting for someone to notice her and yell, but it didn't come. After a couple seconds, she exhaled quietly and looked back at the Elric brothers.

Al seemed vaguely impressed—she really couldn't tell, what with his lack of a face and all. Ed was fuming. She winked at him and found the conductor once again. A couple more seconds and… She gestured swiftly, and then both of them set off after her at the same time. Her expression melted into one of horror at the really-super-obvious clanking noise Al made as they closed the space between her and them, but to her extreme gratitude, the train whistle chose that exact moment blow loudly, effectively drowning out all noise, and the brothers made it safely onto the train just as it began to move.

"You almost got us caught!" she hissed as the pair clambered up next to her.

Ed scoffed. "Yeah, right. If we hadn't gone at the same time, we wouldn't have both made it," he pointed out.

Kagome glared daggers at him as he eyed the freight car in front of them. "We need to get in there," he said.

"Yeah, much safer than just standing here waiting to get caught," agreed his brother, already leaping across the gap between the two cars and latching onto the ladder on the side of the freight car. He tugged himself up the ladder and onto the top of the train as his brother followed him.

Kagome made the mistake of looking down. The cars were only connected by two pieces of metal linked together. They looked way too rusty to actually support a train car. The ground rushed by faster and faster underneath her feet as the train gained speed. Suddenly the space between her and the ladder seemed a lot bigger.

She gulped. "Um, guys?" she said.

Ed looked over his shoulder at her. He was already almost over the ladder. Al had disappeared entirely from view, presumably having opened (or made) a hatch on the top of the car and slipped inside. Ed raised an eyebrow at her. "What are you waiting for?"

"I—ah…" She trailed off, wetting her lips. "I don't know if I can make it across." She gestured to her injured leg.

Ed looked at her blankly for a moment before giving a long-suffering sigh, crawling back down the ladder. "Here." He extended a hand to her. She bit her lip and looked at his hand, then at the ground again.

"Looking down just makes it worse," he advised, sounding a bit bored.

Kagome huffed and looked up at him. His eyes met hers in what could have been boredom or a challenge. Making sure her quiver was secure and stringing her bow over her shoulder, she set her jaw and reached out for him. Their fingers just barely touched. _Geez, that is a long way._

She took a deep breath and jumped. His hand immediately clasped hers and pulled her towards him. It seemed like an eternity before her other hand met the cool steel of the ladder, and then he had released her hand and threaded his arm behind her back to tug her the rest of the way onto the ladder and stabilize her. When her feet found the ladder, she released a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding.

"Got it?" he asked.

His voice was just next to her ear. Kagome blushed and pulled back a bit, and he released his hold around her waist. "I'm fine," she said. "Thanks." She jerked her chin towards the ladder. "Ladies first."

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Disclaimers:**

I do not own Inuyasha or Fullmetal Alchemist, but I do own this story, and if you steal it I will get really pissed off at you. Any similarities between this and other fics is purely coincidental and if you accuse me of stealing, I will also get really pissed off at you. (I am rather easily pissed off.) Please bear in mind that there are bound to be likenesses between mine and other IY/FMA or FMA fics because I'm planning on following the FMA storyline (manga/2009 anime version), at least in the beginning, so if it's related to the order of events, well, please don't bother bringing it up, okay?

This fic is rated T. I reserve the right to heated makeout scenes and excessive swearing/violence, and I also reserve the right to up the rating at any point if I so chose. I honestly don't think that'll happen; nevertheless, be prepared.

Updates will come and go as I see fit. I may mess around for months at a time just to put out a filler chapter and randomly go on hiatus right after a cliff-hanger, but I will finish this story. Eventually.


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